The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1887-11-09
For The Mirror.
Time Sentences.


Time Sentences.
Every inmate Of this prison will readily
comprehend the subject He knows he is
sentenced to confinement and hard labor
for definite time. it may be for months,
years. OF it may be life. The time is fixed
and it is entirely beyond his power to
shorten the period embraced by the sentence,
except as has wisely been provided by the
laws of the state-by good behavior. The
character of the offense. involving the act
constituting the crime. the manner of its
commission, the motive prompting it. and
the character of the offender. are considered
in fixing the time of Imprisonment for the
various crimes. The judge who pronounces
sentence is guided by the law fixing the
term of Imprisonment within certain bounds,
and the circumstances surrounding each
case. From his limited knowledge of the
facts, as they may develop during the trial
Of the accused error must arise. justice can
not always be done. The expert criminal
operating in new field, receives a short
sentence, while new beginner may receive
the maximum limit through the efforts of
over Jealous prosecutors. And he who has
stepped from the paths of honest dealing
but once, has been punished more by the
simple exposure of his crime than it would
| be possible to punish the crook by any
sentence he might receive under the law.
No matter how complete a reformation
may be effected, nor what the time required
to effect it, there is a fixed time of sentence
in every case. and the true object sought
the reformation of the criminals lost
| sight of.
For over hundred years individuals and
societies have been dealing with the prison
problem, and their labOrS have not been in
vain, as will be seen by comparing our
present system with that in vogue at the
commencement of the Revolution, and
noting the various changes through which
it has passed. At the time referred to
more than a score of crimes were punish
able by death. and it was not until 1894
that murder was declared the only crime
for the commission of which the death
penalty could be inflicted in the state of
Pennsylvania, and in many of the states,
the death penalty is now abolished. All
these great changes have been brought
about by peaceful legislation, by intelli-
gent efforts of those who seek the elevation
of mankind, beyond crime. Let us hope that
the same intelligence will remedy the evils
of our present system. 1.-The true system
of Imprisonment" says recent writer.
''comprehends the reformation of the
criminal, restitution for the wrong COM
mtted, and the protection of society,""
BY this analysis we are directed first to
the reformation of the criminal. Let us
suppose in a given case that this has been
accomplshed-thena are two of the objects
of Imprisonment accomplished, for if the
criminal has reformed. society is protected,
and there is no intelligent reason for his
Imprisonment. The feelings of revenge
and vindctivenesS are no reason for I'M
prisonment in the intelligent mind. The
question then presents itself. ''How can
this reformation be determined and who
will say when justice has been done?' OF
these we will speak in an other article.
| Nov. 3. 1857. V.